style in wedding photography – anticipation and timing

I’m sure every photographer has this experience, where your shutter trips, and you just know you have the shot. Something that you see – whether anticipated or just lucky timing – and you capture it. This is how I felt when I captured this moment between Marie and Andrew at their wedding this weekend. I got it!

A bit of background to this image:
During a Catholic wedding service, there is a short time after the exchange of vows and rings, where the couple are seated again for the Mass. With everyone’s attention now on the priest and the rest of the proceedings, this is usually the moment where a couple have their first nearly-alone time. From experience, I know that invariably the couple will then steal glances at each other, or lean in to each other to talk. Or they might reach out with a momentary fingertip touch.

Just a little something where they spontaneously show their connection with each other. And this is how I was ready for this brief moment where Marie shaped an I-heart-you with her hands for Andrew.

In that sense this then is not a lucky shot. When you are photographing a wedding, or any other kind of event, whether news or sports or whatever it might be … the key to getting images that capture something essential about the event, is to be prepared, to observe, anticipate, and ‘read’ the event. It’s all about anticipation, awareness and timing. Those moments are there.

Hi Neil
Did you bounce flash with this photo or jus register the ambient light? I can’t find it out, but dept of field seems to be not too deep, and propably there is no flash isn’t it?
Any way very nice shoot.

We’re a team of two photogs always. That has the advantage of being able to turn around and scout for reactions from the audience while my mate stays with the subject (we take turns). It’s always funny especially when the bride or groom stumbles on their wows (or worse on the names of their partner :-) ) everyone starts laughing and their reactions get recorded. The couples are always happy when they see those shots.
This is a nice picture Neil. Very nicely done !

Alfredo, my decision to take an image to B&W usually rests on whether I want to simplify the photograph and thereby increasing its emotional impact. Now we don’t have the color information to possibly distract us, and we can perhaps more clearly see the moment.

For example, with the images of the flower girl, the colors are very pretty. It all does help making the entire image more appealing. But if there had been a gesture or a moment there with greater emotional impact, then I think that the simplicity of a B&W image would help.